The CAA:
I am against the CAA. Some sort of organisation is needed for private flying but they're taking things too far. They are gradually ruining flying with their rules and regulations and their stupid bureaucracy.
For example, I readin Pilot magazine of one person who hada very mild stroke while playing squash. However they were ok and even finished their game. A doctor said they were ok and fit to fly. This person made the mistake of telling the CAA who despite him being a ppl in good health confiscated his medical. When he asked for it they wouldnt give it back. Then they kept it. They might still have it. What gives theses stupid, uninformed bureaucrats the right to take away his right to fly? Things like this happen all the time. A few years ago you couldnt even do aerobatics in Tiger Moths because the CAA said so.
Then, after years they realised there was nothing wrong with it and allowed it, but look at how long it took!
They need to be strict to make air transport a profitable, safe business but they are entangling private flying in this sticky quagmire of rules and restrictions. Perhaps a separate organisation would be a good idea. Why should they own the skies? If someone with a 1 in 100,000 chance of having a heart attack in the air wants to fly then it should be up to them , not some idiot behind a desk somwhere.
Private flying is not that bad right now but things are going downhill and I bet that in 20 years private flying will have been mutialted by air corridors, rules, restrictions and so forth.
Does anyone lese think the CAA are "going that way"?
Im adding this bit now to say that I have changed my views to agree that the CAA is necessary and that it would be better to try to work with the CAA than against it as with so many planes about some sort of organisation is needed to make it safe and organised. Due to the largeness of it obviously a few mistakes will be made but that cannot be helped. Id like it more if it was like it was in the 30s but nowadays that is not practical or safe so I agree we need the CAA and should work with them.
[ 24 July 2001: Message edited by: Tiger_ Moth ]